Establish Expectations

From the moment a reader clicks on your page, they have certain expectations. They have expectations when they subscribe to your newsletter or purchase a piece of content from you. They also have expectations when they read your article title and post description. So with all of these expectations, how do you manage them?

In order to set realistic expectations, you need to have a good understanding of what your own expectations are. What are your goals for your site? Where do you imagine your site being one year from now? What is your niche, and what is your ideal reader? If you have a clear direction in your mind, you’ll be able to post regularly about topics that interest your reader.

Posting consistently will establish expectations with your readers. Post at a similar frequency week to week, and try to post around the same time. A great way to do this is to develop a post series about a popular topic. You can also create a weekly post, like a Motivation Monday or Team Tuesday series. This will give your readers something to look forward to and help manage their weekly expectations.

Your title is a HUGE deal because it sets the stage for your content. Your content must fulfill the expectations set by your title. If you’re offering a solution to a problem or insight into a situation, you need to follow through and actually give them the answer or insight. If your title is great but your content is lacking, you’ll have a higher bounce rate and fewer returning readers. Your traffic can vary by as much as 500% just based on your title, so make sure your posts are titled strategically.

Obviously your article title and sales copy need to be effective, but it also needs to paint a realistic picture. We recommend transparency. Be honest in how you describe what you’re offering. And when in doubt, under-promise and over-deliver.

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